and there was no trace of the murderer, although £50 was offered by the Secretary of State for any information that would lead to conviction.
Another Inquest was held on the 28th of March, the subject in this case being also a male child, newly born, and discovered in a basket under a hedge in Deudney’s field by two boys who were searching for birds’ nests. A post-mortem by Mr. A. J. Wilson showed that the child was a full-grown infant, with the mark of a ligature round the neck. In this case also a verdict of murder by some person unknown was recorded, and £50 was offered by Government, but without result. There were reasons for supposing that both crimes had been committed by strangers.
Lecture on the Apocalypse
On the afternoon of the 16th of November, the Rev. Dr. Cumming delivered in the St. Leonards Assembly Room his promised lecture on the Apocalypse. As in his first lecture, reported in the St. Leonards Gazette, the room was filled to overflowing, one of the side- rooms, as well as the orchestra being put into requisition to accommodate such as were not able to obtain seats in the large room. The chair was occupied by Charles H. Frewen, Esq., who commenced the proceedings with a few introductory remarks.
Dr. Cumming commenced his address with an allusion to some misrepresentations of the press touched upon in his previous lecture. These stated that he had predicted the end of the world in 1867, a statement which he said was not true. He believed, however, that great changes were at hand, and that the day would come when there would be read in the Times newspaper the startling phenomenon of the assembling of the Jews in Jerusalem. He believed also that the end of the Papacy was drawing nigh. The Pope was a good old bachelor, but his temporal and spiritual power was rapidly declining, and his days were numbered. Howsoever people might sneer and scoff at the subject, and whatsoever may be said as to the time and the end of the present dispensation, the lecturer contended that his duties to his God, to his country and to his family were not to be determined by these considerations. Whatever duties God had designed for him, those he would endeavour to fulfil, even were it the sweeping of a crossing.
The reverend lecturer then proceeded to explain the meaning of the word Apocalypse, intimating to his audience that they must pardon him if for his purpose of diffusing information he assumed -
